Zoo News Digest is the longest established and most widely read listing of current 'zoo' related news on the internet. It notes 'real' events of interest to people working within the zoo industry. By a Zoo Professional for Zoo Professionals and other interested parties. The Digest includes comments and notification of courses and events.

ZooNews Digest 30th May - 1st June 2009 (Zoo News 598)

The rainy season is really upon us here in Thailand now with a deluge practically every day.

I fly off to the Philippines tomorrow to spend a couple of weeks. 'Wife' number two is getting married shortly and moving far away. This may be the last time I can be with her. I am very sad.

Back on the subject of Chiang Mai. The local papers are full of the Panda baby. I commented before on how it had been removed for weighing and measuring and how I thought that unwise. Not yet a week old and now they are taking milk samples from the mother just in case.Do the Chinese not know the composition of Panda Milk? Does Chiang Mai Zoo with its long established Panda research station not have the information? Why don't they just leave mother and cub alone?Now they are jumping up and down wanting to keep the cub for longer than the agreed 2 years. Why? What for? Commercial greed and nothing at all to do with considering the needs of a two year old Panda cub. It will have learnt all it could from its mother. It needs to move on. The Chinese know that. That is why the two year clause is implemented.

I do hope the cub draws in more visitors to Chiang Mai though. I hope that they then get their act together and use the money to start improving the accommodation for some of the other species there. They spent millions on an unnecessary aquarium whereas the caging for the gibbons (some probably rarer than Giant Pandas) is horrific and has been that way for years. Chiang Mai needs to do better.

The death of Zion Wildlife Park keeper continues to generate a lot of interest. I include a few links. All are interesting but do read through the numerous comments. It is important you do to realise the ignorance and misconceptions that the average Joe Public has. We have to educate our zoo visitors so we have to understand their thinking on these matters. Many of these comments suggest that people actually believe you have to go inside enclosures with these large cats. There is only one reason and that is to pander to the overinflated ego of whichever nutcase implemented such a nonesensical management system in the first place. Then there is the so often mistaken belief that White Tigers are rare. White Tigers, beautiful as they are, are junk tigers.

I am not sure how I feel about cabbage headed, green blooded PETA getting a greasy toe hold in the door of Byculla Zoo. Enrichment they say. Actually it sounds like what they are doing is installing cage furniture...this is enriching of course but only for a day or two after which it becomes a familiar object, part of routine. The distinction has to be made. Whatever, as long as it improves conditions. Maybe PETA will learn something too.

I have written two new hubs recently...neither are zoo related but someone out there might be interested:

Hubpages are brilliant, quick to create webpages which can earn you a small passive income from day one. Read my "Quick Guide to Hub Construction." http://ewerl.com/Ua92gJ I truly believe it will be worth your while.

Kerre Woodham: They are wild animals The death of Zion Wildlife Park keeper, Dalu Mncube, is a tragedy but so, too, is the killing of Abu the rare royal white tiger who mauled Mncube to death this week.I'm sure Mncube's colleagues thought they were doing their best to save him. The Whangarei area police commander has gone so far as to say they behaved bravely in trying to rescue the mortally wounded keeper.They tried to frighten Abu away with a fire extinguisher and sticks before resorting to firepower but surely an attack of this sort is an occupational hazard you must accept when you choose to work with wild animals.Even your average domestic moggie can turn feral in a heartbeat if it's frightened, enraged or just feels like taking a swipe.Abu may have been born and bred in captivity but if your DNA tells you

Animal cruelty allegations made against Busch Serious allegations, including claims of animal cruelty, have been made against TV's world famous Lion Man.ONE News has obtained documents, and spoken to workers at the Zion Wildlife Gardens, about occasions when big cats were hurt and people put at risk over a period of five years.The allegations surfaced after Craig Busch publicly criticised safety standards at Zion, following the fatal mauling of a keeper last week.ONE News has spoken to staff who claim Busch cruelly killed unwanted cubs.One worker claims he saw Busch put a cub down using a rock the size of a softball."He lay the cub on the ground...he was in a standing position and he threw the rock down on the ground onto the cub. It took three or four times before he was satisfied it was dead, cause he actually... semi missed&he clipped it cause I rememberhttp://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/animal-cruelty-allegations-made-against-busch-2764199

ReviewThis text provides the first comprehensive account of the essential knowledge and the various activities that underpin a successful modern zoo or aquarium. The authors have addressed the challenges, philosophical and practical, that zoo professionals face as well as providing a detailed introduction to the science and management of zoological collections. The engaging style, clear diagrams and wellchosen examples ensure that this text will provide an extremely valuable resource for students and zoo professionals alike. Dr John Eddison, University of Plymouth

At Cape May Zoo, cages aren't the only safety measures

The skull and crossbones on the back of the cage say it all: Do not open under penalty of death.The Cape May County Zoo does not take any chances with its timber rattlesnakes or the other dangerous animals in its collection. Only the snake handlers have keys to the heavy-duty Master locks securing the viper exhibits.This is one of countless examples of security measures de-signed to keep staff, visitors and animals safe.Keepers work in teams whenever handling the Reptile House's venomous or constricting snakes or alligators, including a 400-pound brute named Oliver who can be moved only with the manhandling of eight staff.The zoo's no-nonsense security was on display last month when it relocated Rocky, its resident Siberian tiger, for the first time in nine years. A Cape May County Sheriff's deputy armed with a shotgun supervised the move of the tranquilized cat so its exhibit could undergo renovations.Keepers have to be adaptable

Govt will ask China to keep panda here longerPrime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has pledged to look for ways to negotiate with China to allow a new-born panda to stay longer in Thailand.He said he will look at the details of the country's 10-year panda loan deal with China first and raise the issue at an appropriate moment. Mr Abhisit will visit China late next month. "I will try to find out where in the deal China can relax regulations. But first, the government will organise activities to celebrate the birth of the baby panda," he said.Under the loan agreement, any panda cub born in Thailand must be returned to China within two years.China lent Lin Hui and her mate Xuang Xuang to Thailand six years ago.On Wednesday, Lin Hui gave birth to her first cub at Chiang Mai zoo after undergoing artificial insemination. This was the first successful artificial insemination of a panda by a Thai veterinarian team.Prasertsak Boontrakulpoonthawee, chief of the panda research project, said a team of vets yesterday took milk samples from Lin Hui to analyse and isolate essential nutrients to produce

Brothers receive $900,000 settlement for San Francisco zoo tiger attackThe two San Jose brothers whose friend was fatally mauled on Christmas Day 2007 by a tiger that escaped a closure at the San Francisco Zoo will receive $900,000 as part of a settlement in a civil lawsuit, according to a source.Kulbir and Amirtpal "Paul" Dhaliwal originally filed a lawsuit in November that blamed city officials and the zoo for their injuries sustained during the attack and also sought damages for defamation in the aftermath of the incident. The brothers amended their complaint two weeks ago to seek additional claims, alleging that the city was attempting to bully the Dhaliwals into not seeking a civil lawsuit by threatening to issue an arrest warrant for manslaughter in the death of their friend, Carlos Sousa Jr., who was mauled to death by a Siberian tiger.Los Angeles-based attorney Mark Geragos, who represented the Dhaliwals in their suit against the San Francisco Zoological Society, City and County of San Francisco and public relations

Zion Wildlife park closed by MAF - big cats won't be killedThe Zion Wildlife Gardens has been temporarily closed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF).The move comes after keeper Dalu Mncube was mauled to death by a 260kg white male tiger called Abu on Wednesday.MAF said the park will remain closed until it is satisfied the park is able to "consistently comply with the animal welfare and enclosure requirements for zoos and wildlife parks", in a statement this afternoon.There is no intention to euthaniase any of the animals.MAF has issued two primary notices, the first requiring the park to meet MAF standards for animal enclosures.The second requires the park to institute interim safety measures to protect staff where segregation from animals is not possible.MAF says it wants to ensure "the welfare of the animals is not compromised and the park is being well managed".Earlier today, the Lion Man, Craig Busch, questioned safety measures at the wildlife park where a game keeper was mauled to death by a tiger this week.Mr Busch, who is currently involved in a hearing before the Employment Relations Authority over his dismissal from the Zion Wildlife Gardens, gave a statement to media this afternoon. Mr Busch said Mr Mncube was the most experienced employee at the park to be dealing with the male tigers while he himself was not there."I think there needs to be more experience," Mr Busch said.In a halting and emotional voice Mr Busch said he wanted to say goodbye to his friends Dalu and Abu and was sad

White tigers not endangeredZion Wildlife Gardens says the tiger shot this week is not endangered. Keeper Dalu Mncabe was mauled to death on Wednesday by a male white tiger at the Whangarei wildlife park. Director Glen Holland says white tigers are a mutation and not a naturally occurring cat. He says they have been bred to satisfy people's need to see an unusual animal and are not endangered. Holland says white tigers in captivity have little to do with conservation of tigers in the wild. He says white tigers would never be released into the wil

Wild Mammals in Captivity, the first handbook of its kind, focuses on new approaches to the management of wild animals in captivity. In one comprehensive volume, the editors have gathered the most current information from field and captive studies of animal behavior, advances in captive breeding, research in physiology, genetics, and nutrition, and new thinking in animal management and welfare. Featuring contributions from dozens of internationally renowned experts, this book is a professional reference of immense practical value, surveying every significant scientific, technical, and management issue. This extraordinary book is an essential resource for administrators, keepers, veterinarians, and everyone who works directly with mammals or is concerned generally with their management and conservation. "This is the only up-to-date and comprehensive manual on the problems of and the solutions to keeping and handling wild mammals outside their natural environment. . . . A magnificent manual."—Harry Miller, Times Higher Education Supplement

Zoo Offers Amnesty To Owners Of Exotic, Dangerous PetsOwners of exotic, potentially dangerous or illegal pets can give them up at a "no questions asked" event held by the state Department of Environmental Protection and Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo."Exotic Animal Amnesty Day" is scheduled to take place July 25 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Zoo's Hanson Exploration Station. Reptiles, amphibians, birds, mammals, fish and invertebrates will be accepted.They will be examined on site and will become property of the DEP."We are looking for people to turn in exotic animals they own that may violate Connecticut's ban on possession of a range

Dalton traders split over zoo plansYesterday plans were revealed to increase the size of South Lakes Animal Park in Dalton.The plans for the zoo will see it expand to three times its current size and house new species of animals, including elephants and jaguars.It will also improve its visitor facilities.Zoo owner, David Gill, said he intends to remove all traffic from Dalton. But some traders feel this may prevent passing trade to smaller shops in the town.Mark Rice, who owns Part-eze, in Market Street, Dalton said: “I’m not sure how it will effect businesses, but if it has a negative effect there will be uproar.“The park as it is now doesn’t really attract people into Dalton, so I don’t see how making it bigger will help.“A lot of businesses rely on local custom and don’t get too many tourists coming in from the wildlife park.”But other traders welcomed the n

Four of the world's rarest tortoises have been stolen from a captive breeding programme in Madagascar.The ploughshare tortoises were being raised by The Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in a bid to bolster the wild population. The species is so rare that fewer than 500 are thought to survive in the wild. If the stolen tortoises are not recovered, conservationists believe they are destined for private collections in Europe, the US or Asia. The theft took place on the evening of 6 May. The thieves entered pre-release enclosures inside Baly Bay National Park, Madagascar, where eight ploughshare tortoises were being kept under quarantine prior to being released. These enclosures were at a secret location and not accessible to the public. All four stolen animals were nearly mature animals, which Durrell had spent years raising. The four were part of a group of 44 specimens that Durrell is attempting to release into the wild. The ploughshare tortoise (Astrochelys yniphora) of north-western Madagascar is the largest of Madagascar's tortoises. Adults reach about 45cm in length. The

An Adelaide Zoo team has been instrumental in saving a native species from extinction. The team, headed by project veterinarian David Schultz, has brought back from the brink the Victorian brush-tailed rock wallaby - of which just 12 are known to exist. "There were so few," Dr Schultz said. "We knew of about six in the wild and half a dozen in captivity." Combined with an extensive baiting program to rid protected areas of foxes and wild dogs, the species' primary threat, the results have been remarkable. "We've ha

A seven-year-old ‘rhesus macaque’ that escaped from the Corporation Zoo at VOC Park was captured by the forest officials after a laborious five-hour effort. It is learnt that the monkey managed to escape by breaking a weak net around 3 p.m. The monkey crossed over the Central Prison campus and Dr. Nanjappa Road and strayed in to Ram Nagar and Kattoor areas. Five persons suffered bite injuries as the monkey ran amuck. Following information, District Forest Officer, I. Anwardeen, deputed a team led by Forest Veterinarian, N.S. Manoharan

Exotic Animal Care and Management, provides students with a comprehensive and unique learning experience, focusing entirely on exotic animal care, and husbandry. This text book addresses behavior, habitat, husbandry and diet for each species, recognizing that the majority of medical problems in keeping exotics are due to a lack of species-specific information. Common diseases for each species are discussed at length, from the perspective of providing nursing care, and recognizing signs of health problems. This comprehensive text also covers essential information for anyone working with exotics in a clinical setting including: injection sites, administration of medication, anesthesia, restraint and handling. The companion student workbook provides actual case studies and study questions directly related to the text.

'Iconic' Goat Passes Away At Audubon ZooMiguel Was Known For His GoateeMiguel Hidalgo, or “Miguel,” as his many friends knew him, passed away Friday at Audubon Zoo at the age of 15. A registered Nigerian dwarf goat, he was born Sept. 16, 1993, at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Texas. He arrived at Audubon’s Children’s Zoo Jan. 23, 1994.Miguel was a favorite of keepers and visitors alike, zoo officials said. Well known for his “goatee,” he was always quick to nibblehttp://www.wdsu.com/news/19605230/detail.html

New Animals Inhabit Central ZooNew animals came to live in the Central Zoo, situated at the foot of Mt. Taesong in Pyongyang to delight the viewers.General Secretary Kim Jong Il, who had visited at the end of last year the zoo wonderfully reconstructed to suit the requirement of the new century, sent five rare tigers to it.They are three Korean tigers and two Bengal tigers.The Korean tigers are three years old, each of which weighs a hundred and tens of kilograms on an average.The tiger has conspicuous black pattern on the foreheadhttp://www.kcna.co.jp/item/2009/200905/news28/20090528-07ee.html

Govt will ask China to keep panda here longerPrime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has pledged to look for ways to negotiate with China to allow a new-born panda to stay longer in Thailand.He said he will look at the details of the country's 10-year panda loan deal with China first and raise the issue at an appropriate moment. Mr Abhisit will visit China late next month. "I will try to find out where in the deal China can relax regulations. But first, the government will organise activities to celebrate the birth of the baby panda," he said.Under the loan agreement, any panda cub born in Thailand must be returned to China within two years.China lent Lin Hui and her mate Xuang Xuang to Thailand six years ago.On Wednesday, Lin Hui gave birth to her first cub at Chiang Mai zoo after undergoing artificial insemination. This was the first successful artificial insemination of a panda by a Thai veterinarian team.Prasertsak Boontrakulpoonthawee, chief of the panda research project, said a team of vets yesterday took milk samples from Lin Hui to analyse and isolate essential nutrients to producehttp://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/17633/govt-will-ask-china-to-keep-panda-here-longer

PETA to carry out enrichment activities in Byculla ZooAfter the death of a hippopotamus at the Byculla Zoo in South Mumbai, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has decided to work hand-in-hand with the authorities to improve the condition of the caged animals in the Zoo. "PETA along with the Zoo authorities will involve in enrichment activities for animals before the BMC-sanctioned Rs 430-crore plan is put to action," PETA's chief functionary Anuradha Sawhney told PTI here. A five-year-old hippopotamus, Shakti died recently in the Byculla Zoo after being diagnosed with a "skin infection". After Shakti's death in April, PETA had said that the enclosures are not designed to fulfill the biological needs of the animals as it does not resemble their natural habitat following which they joined hands with zoo authorities to carry out enrichment activities. Confirming the development, Dr Sanjay Tripathi, a Zoo Vet said, "we are workinghttp://www.mid-day.com/news/2009/jun/010609-peta-byculla-zoo.htm

Zoo keepers' study successA STOURBRIDGE zoo keeper is well on his way to becoming fully trained after successfully completing the first phase of his studies in caring for zoo animals. Robert Kedian, aged 23, alongside fellow zoo keeper Darren Saddler, also 23, are both in the first year of a two-year course, studying for an Advanced National Certificate in Zoo Animal Management. As part of their qualification, the pair have recently returned from a week-long residential in Hampshire where they met with keepers from

WHEN Boy the elephant needed a pedicure, matters were a tad more complicated than popping into his local beauty salon.When the massive mammal's nails grew too long for comfort, a saw and power grinders were more the order of the day than a simple pair of nail clippers.Plymothians Anna Westbury and her husband Steve Pilcher were among the staff who gave Boy the mammoth four-hour pedicure at Kiev Zoo in the Ukraine.The 39-year-old Asian elephant, who weighs in at 12,000lb, was sedated to allow the team to use tools including the saw and power grinders to clip his toenails.Anna and Steve spent two and a half years helping owner Ben Mee to set up Dartmoor Zoological Park in Sparkwell with their zoological expertise.Anna, who is now leading animal manager at Kiev Zoo, worked as the animal manager at Dartmoor Zoo while Steve worked as thehttp://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/JUMBO-JOB-CITY-ZOO-COUPLE/article-1036637-detail/article.html

Sir, The RSPB is advocating in favour of more wind farms across the UK. Yet in the United States the State of Birds report, released by U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar last month, warns of the impact these installations are having on bird populations, which are already in sharp decline.

John Fitzpatrick, the director of the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology, helped draft the report along with nonprofit advocacy groups. Yahoo News reports : "Environmentalists and scientists say the report should signal the Obama administration to act cautiously as it seeks to expand renewable energy production and the electricity grid on public lands and tries to harness wind energy along the nation's coastlines."

This significant impact on biodiversity is corroborated by the Spanish Ornithological Society ( SEO-Birdlife ). In a new report commissioned by the Spanish government, they warn that the effect of wind farms on bird mortality has been grossly under-estimated. Entire species are at risk, and among other things they recommend that wind turbines not be erected closer than 15 kilometers from eagles' nests. Too many of these great birds have been killed by their blades already.Yet, in Scotland, there is no setback regarding eagles’ nests : on the isle of Lewis, the John Muir Trust has approved the erection of 3 wind turbines as close as one kilometer away from an active golden eagle nest. The RSPB is not objecting to this practice, which threatens the survival of the UK’s eagles.

Several Scottish eagles have disappeared near wind farms already, a fact that your organisation has not publicised.

One may wonder why you would encourage the erection of more wind farms across the UK when there is so much evidence that many bird species, from eagles to song birds, are being killed by these machines in substantial numbers.

It is disturbing enough, but there is more : the RSPB has a financial interest in the development of wind farms. You contracted a business relationship with Scottish and Southern Energy, which sells a product called " RSPB energy " - a vector for renewable energy. The conflict of interest is evident.

You also have close ties with governments, working with them to reduce opposition to wind farm development. This was again evidenced by a recent annoucement : "Charities, voluntary organisations and NGOs are to team up with Government to look at ways to tackle climate change and other environmental issues in this sector. "

Politicians are enlisting the support of charities in their attempt to convince increasingly sceptical Britons that their landscapes and quality of life have to go - a highly controversial decision based on computer predictions about climate that hundreds of prominent scientists from around the world denounce as bordering on fraud.

The charities’ involvement appears to involve spin as well. Recently the BBC quoted the RSPB in its praise of Spain ( which has 16,000 wind turbines killing half a million birds a year ) : they said the country is producing 20% of its electricity from wind. Yet the figure is actually 11%.

Most people who form the one-million-plus membership of the RSPB think that wind farms do not harm birds significantly. But this is a perception they received from management. Reality proves otherwise in countries where bird mortality at wind farms is being investigated.

In the UK, very few wind farms are monitored for dead birds, and when they are the results are not published. The wind turbines at Blyth harbour are an exception : they were monitored for one year and low mortality was found. But the turbines being located on a warf, most birds that are hit fall at sea and many are never found.

We as dedicated conservationists, and this opinion is shared by many RSPB members and other bird lovers across the country, are increasingly worried by the wind farm policy of your bird society. It is bad enough to sacrifice the British landscape to produce small amounts of unreliable yet very expensive energy. But what are we to think of the RSPB making every effort to promote such destruction ? And why do you keep to yourselves most of the evidence of high bird mortality at wind farms around the world ?

The broad picture.

A report on wind energy claims that wind farm generating capacity in the world could reach 7,500GW by 2025.

Supposing an average of 2 MW per turbine, that's 3,750,000 wind turbines.

* As shown by studies not unduly influenced by their funding and performed by biologists Lekuona in Spain, Everaert in Belgium, and Winkelman in the Netherlands.

To this must be added the death toll of new high-tension power lines : 1) from each windfarm to the national grid, and 2) extensions of the grid itself.Let’s say, conservatively, that this represents 10 km of new HT power lines per wind farm, and that a wind farm has an average of 50 turbines :

* Average mortality according to a study in the Netherlands by Koops (1987) quoted by the American Wind Energy Association. However, in important areas of bird migration, mortality can exceed 500 birds per kilometer per year, says Birdlife International.

Bats are another matter : where bats are present, more are killed by wind turbines than birds. These flying mammals are attracted to the blades . A video has documented this fact.

The upshot of all this is : 1) many bat species are already on the endangered list, 2) migrating bird numbers are shrinking rapidly, and 3) another study from Birdlife found that most other birds species are also on the decline. And now wind farms and their power lines will be adding another 250 million killings per year. In the circumstances, is it reasonable for the RSPB to push for more wind farms ?

To put things into perspective : Germany has over 20,000 wind turbines, Spain 16,000, yet CO2 emissions have continued to increase in both countries. The need for back-up by conventional power stations practically makes redundant this form of intermittent, unreliable electricity.

A short-course for anyone with an active interest in animal conservation and a desire to learn how species can be saved. Lectures will be given by world class conservationists. Practical activities and behind the scenes experiences in Durrell’s animal collection will provide participants with first-hand exposure to the realities of endangered species recovery. On completion participants will be equipped with a fuller appreciation of the complexities of animal conservation and an ability to develop their personal or professional interests in the field.For further information please visit http://www.durrell.org/ (get involved menu, select training)Or contact Catherine Burrows at: catherine.burrows@durrell.org

Announcing the ASZK Des Spittall Scholarship for Keeper ResearchNamed in honour of the late Des Spittall, a life member of ASZK, the ASZK committee has launched the Des Spittall Scholarship for keeper research. This is open to people who have been a financial member of ASZK for 12 months or more. This is an annual scholarship up to the value of $2,000. Applications close 31st October 2009

Please forward ‘Des Spittall Scholarship for Keeper Research’ application to ASZK President no later than 31st of October each year at email eo@aszk.org.au

"First African Symposium on Zoological Medicine"July 18th and 19th 2009.Johannesburg Zoo, South Africa.Financial assistance available for vets from other African countries.For more details contact Teresa Slacke on vetadmin@jhbzoo.org.za

3rd International Congress on Zoo Keeping and the 36th American Association of Zoo Keepers National ConferenceSeptember 24th - 29th 2009 The Puget Sound Chapter of AAZK and WoodlandPark ZooSee these websites for further information: http://www.iczoo.org/http://www.pugetsoundaazk.org/

The Bear Care Group announces the second international bear care conference 'Advancing Bear Care '09.SAN FRANCISCO NOVEMBER 6-8 2009http://www.bearcaregroup.org/

The 6th European Zoo Nutrition ConferenceBarcelona, 28-31 January 2010Please send comments or suggestions for topics/speakers directly to me (a.fidgett@chesterzoo.org). Further announcements and information will be posted online via the nutrition area of the EAZA website (http://www.eaza.net/).

About Me

I have worked in the zoo world for over 48 years in the capacity of keeper, head keeper and curator. For information related to a zoos, zoo careers and more please see:
http://hubpages.com/_BL29/hub/The-Zoo-Hubs
See also my profile at:
http://www.google.com/profiles/elvinhow